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As many of you know, I'm slowly (oh so slowly) trying to build an ultralight / experimental-light-sport-aircraft. To that end, I've been following the mail list for that aircraft (Quad Cities Ultralight Challenger II long wing). For the last year or two, one of the 1,400 members of the list was a doctor who was building a plane like mine. Dr. Peter was meticulous in his work. He set up a nice shop and worked slowly and carefully. I corresponded with him about a special instrument package we share. His quality of workmanship was well above normal. His was the only plane that the Canadian airworthiness inspector had ever passed on the first inspection with no to-do list (and that inspector was VERY knowledgeable in our kind of plane having built eight and inspected 18). A few weeks after his first flight, with 17 hours on the plane, Peter and his wife Laurie were killed when the plane crashed. Our list of pilots and builders was devastated. This guy had done things BETTER than most everybody. Yet his plane failed. Early reports in the local papers said the wings had folded back and you'd better believe THAT got our attention. Fortunately, that wasn't true. One of the list members took time off work and contacted the Canadian OPP where the plane had crashed. We found that a Constable who is also a pilot had taken a personal interest in finding out what had caused the crash. Our list member talked with him several times and the Constable even called back to Texas from his cell phone from the airplane in the field. Several AME (A&P) and Challenger builders and the distributor went to the site and examined the plane. What HAD happened was that the push-rods controlling the elevator had failed, the plane stalled and spun, impacting the ground steeply. It turns out that Dr. Peter had modified the control system after the inspection and that had caused the complete failure of the elevator control. Several knowledgeable eye-witnesses KNOW that the controls were not modified at the time of the inspection or any of the pre-inspections. The day of the accident, another Challenger pilot had seen the change and tried to contact Dr. Peter but couldn't contact him. The pilot had nothing with him to write a note. Before this pilot could contact Dr. Peter, Dr. Peter and his wife had taken off on their last trip. Dr. Peter and his wife were in a weekend ground school and the instructor told them in the class to be extremely careful about any changes to critical systems, especially the controls and Dr. Peter didn't seem concerned. It probably seemed to him like the change wasn't that big a deal. We'll miss him. I tell you all this knowing that most of you only use FAA certified mechanics for significant work. I also know that when I had a Coupe knowledgeable mechanic (John Wright, Sr.) look at my plane, he found several things that needed fixing and adjusting, including the control system. Even FAA official mechanics can miss important things. And, some of you do a lot of the work on your own planes and I'd bet many of you know more about Coupes than the local A&P. Still, it's always good to have another set of eyes look at something, even if they know less than you do. To that end, I've copied the message one of the Challenger list members in which he challenges us to inspect each others' planes for safety issues. Please think about inviting others to look over your plane when you get together. Please try to take the time to look at what you can when other owners ask you to look at their planes. I'm no longer as worried as I was on Monday. Dr. Peter had modified the control system in a way that failed. One of the nice things about Challengers is the kit comes with the wing and airframe structure already built with the controls installed. I won't mess with those basics. As an experimental owner and responsible for maintenance myself, I'll take a LOT of precautions. In flying, if we make sure we never fly into a cloud, never run out of fuel, keep a landing site within gliding distance and don't buzz anything (other than 1,000' agl straight and level), then flying can be VERY safe. If we can continually look over each others planes (when invited), the Coupe community can cut down a bit more on the few accidents we do get. Y'all fly safe. You're important to me. Ed Burkhead http://edburkhead.com/ [EMAIL PROTECTED] (remove the QQQ) I wish to report that the funeral today was well attended. It was a very touching service. Four of Peter's and Laurie's children spoke about their parents, and there were eulogies from Laurie's brother in law and Peter's closest professional friend and colleague. Three of our group members attended in person, and I know a bunch of you were there in spirit. The flower arrangement which you sponsored had pride of place at the right side of the podium: it was large and beautiful, of lilies and orchids. I know that the family appreciated the gesture. Thanks to all who contributed. I have a suggestion. It can be a memorial to Peter and Laurie, if you like. It's a pledge I intend to make to myself, and to my flying friends, and it goes like this: I will ask friends to cross-check my plane at every opportunity, to find snags I have missed, and I will take their concerns seriously. I will cross-check other peoples' planes whenever they ask. If I modify or do maintenance on my plane that changes its characteristics in some way, or involves flight-critical components, I will ask friends to check my work. I will have someone who really knows Challengers inspect my plane every time I do an annual or a 50 hour inspection. If I see something unsafe on someone's plane I won't rest until I'm certain it's dealt with or that they know and understand my concern. In hockey (which, being Canadian, I am legally required to watch) there is a penalty for cross-checking. In ultralight flying it should be mandatory. There is a long tradition in aviation that you never second-guess the Pilot In Command; but I think that it's time for us, as PICs and as mechanics, to start welcoming the wisdom of others, at least in the way we keep our planes airworthy. Scott Phillips and I already have a date, to cross-check each others' aircraft. I hope that we won't be the only ones. It would be nice if ICOA and FlyChallenger could adopt this semi-formally as the Memorial Cross-Check Program, in memory of our friends, but I don't really expect us to ever get that formal. Please, just consider it next time you're about to go flying with friends. Take the pledge. :-) - Andrew ========================================================================== ==== To leave this forum go to: http://ercoupers.com/lists.htm Search the archives on http://escribe.com/aviation/coupers/
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